Clouds of Her Heart
by xieloinfehrnurom
Summary: They had always been friends. But time may say they can be more than just that.
1. Pain

A/N: Warning: Might contain spoilers and grammatical and other errors...

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She was supposed to be happy. Sasuke's back. It was a battle at first. No, more like a war actually. The so called team hawk attacked the Leaf. But it was months ago. Everything is settled. It should be a rejoicing moment for her. They haven't seen each other for years. Not that they're close. But it's Uchiha Sasuke we're talking about. And not just Uchiha Sasuke. It's her beloved Uchiha Sasuke. True, she's happy. Was happy. But not until she saw them. Haruno Sakura with her Sasuke. Now she knows she really didn't matter. And that she lost her fight with Sakura. It was a long battle against her, but the pink haired girl, whom she considered her life long rival, won the prize- Sasuke's heart. She can't be wrong. They were kissing back there, under the blossoming sakura trees. The scene was so romantic. Unluckily she wasn't the girl. At the moment she saw them she just can't take it. She ran to nowhere, where her legs can take her. But somewhere out there, she didn't know one guy noticed her.

The clouds were floating above her head. They were in big lumps, moving quite slowly. They looked heavy to her. _Lucky clouds_, she thought. _I wonder if they also feel pain. _Her mind is drifting off to a far away place; she failed to hear footsteps coming.

"I didn't quite expect to see you here, Ino." The voice from behind said.

She was shocked a little. She thought she was alone.

"O, it's just you, Shikamaru. I thought it's somebody else." They weren't hanging around that much than when they were kids. More so now that Asuma-sensei's not around anymore. They were busy with missions and duties. _Is it just me or Shikamaru's voice just got bigger? He sounded more like a...man._

"What brings you here?" He asked, but he actually knew. He sat beside her.

"What brings _you _here?" She questioned him.

"This is my spot, Ino. I usually stay here when I want peace." He lied down, his hands under his head. It was his place. Since he was a kid he liked hanging around that rooftop, where he could lay back and watch the clouds go by.

"Can I stay...just for a while." It wasn't much like her. She usually does what she wants, even if she gets in the way of others. But not this time.

Again, he sat up. As if offering his shoulders, he said, "You can cry if you like."

She dropped her head to his shoulders. All of a sudden tears started flowing down her cheeks. It was like a bomb that exploded all of a sudden. "Darn, Shikamaru, you know too much."

"Why wouldn't I?" He said softly, as if to comfort her.

"Sakura always had the advantage. I was just unprepared to see that." She said in between sobs. She was crying bitterly.

"I'm such an idiot." She seemed to be angry at herself. "I'm not supposed to be crying..." She grabbed his sleeves with her hands. She was holding tight. "I'm such an idiot...so...stupid."

He was silent. But by just being there, she felt somewhat relieved.

_Geez, women, really. They're so troublesome. _He thought. His arms were wet by the tears that flowed from her eyes. He didn't move. He didn't talk. He just sat there, quiet. Silent. But his silence made the atmosphere more comforting. He hated to see such a scene- woman in tears of pain. But all he can do is to sit and just be there. He is her friend anyway. A teammate. A comrade. A girl in need of somebody. And that somebody might just be him.


	2. Love

Seasons had gone by. Days, weeks, months, even years had passed. They had been in a lot of missions. As ninjas, life's just that.

This day, as usual, Ino is headed to the hospital. Almost everyday she goes there to visit Shikamaru. In her hand are fresh flowers from their shop. Just before the last mission, Ino and Shikamaru had been going out frequently. Well of course it started out as occasionally. But then as time passes, it became more often, and eventually they were seen together most of the time. But that didn't really say anything. They were teammates anyways.

As she entered his room, she noticed he's awake already. He forced himself to sit, upon noticing her coming in. He looked a little weak in his current state. His hair was tied down, and he was a little pale.

"Good morning, Shikamaru! Finally awake, huh." She said, in her usual happy tone as she placed the flowers in the vase on the table beside his bed. "Last time we came here you were sleeping." She smiled. "Chouji can't come today. Mission's up."

He grunted while positioning himself to sit.

"Hey don't force yourself. They just took the oxygen mask off yesterday. Take it easy." She said, her hands came to support his shoulders. It felt more toned than before. And broader. Even his body. He was really the skinny type and Ino didn't notice his muscles are more firm now until recently. His arms looked strong, though not really muscular. He actually looked tougher with that hair down.

He sighed. _This Ino. Always noisy even during mornings. _"I can't believe sitting can be this hard."

"Of course it would be hard. You're body was almost a wreck!" Then her tone changed. "You were lucky Tsunade-sama is our hokage." She said it in a manner that was more caring, more motherly.

There was silence for a moment. The sun was good outside. The air was fresh and cool, blowing the scent of flowers nearby. It made the breeze more relaxing. At the town the smell of ramen being cooked can make one really grab for one bowl. Some kids ran around, playing tag. Students from the academy are busy practicing their kunai throws.

Then all of a sudden she broke the silence. "Never repeat that again, got it?" She sounded like a child, but on the other hand, there was also worry. He was confused. "What do you mean?"

"That...thing that you did during our mission." She was talking about the last move Shikamaru did before he was almost killed. They were in a class A mission. Things were really getting tough then, and as the leader, he had no choice but to get really physical with the opponent. It was not much like him. He would usually go for the mind games. He was a well trained shinobi. But his body built is just not fit for a too much physical combat with that enemy. Sure, he could have used his shadows, but the location prevented him to. Ino could have used her techniques, but she was the medical nin. She was taking care of two injured men and right after she was done, she ran to where the battle was, only to find the almost lifeless body of Shikamaru flying from a hit by the enemy.

"I didn't have any choice."

"You almost got killed!" Her turquoise eyes showed him she was worrying a little bit too much. "You were the leader. You can't just die like that."

"Well, I'm still here." It sounded like a joke.

"Stop kidding. I'm serious." Her tone changed. Even the expression on her face.

"If you died back there..." She paused for a while. He wondered what would come out of her lips. "If I lost you back there, it's not just a friend I was loosing." She wasn't looking at him. Her cheeks turned a little reddish. His eyes grew a bit wide with what he heard.

Then he found himself looking at the eyes of the Yamanaka girl sitting on his bed. Her eyes were also looking straight into his. "I could have lost you."

He smirked and looked away. "It's not like I matter that mu..." His words were cut off by her lips. He held her hand as he kissed her back. Around his neck he felt her other hand, so warm. She moved away and smiled. He felt his cheeks turned red and looked away. She giggled, and walked to the window and moved the curtains to the sides. Outside, the clouds are so white and fluffy. They float away to the vast sky. They looked so nice from where she was. _I wonder if they also feel love. _She thought.

A/N: I'm not really sure if I got it out right, but thank you for reading. Please review! Thank you very much!


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